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A54129 A defence of a paper, entituled, Gospel-truths against the exceptions of the Bishop of Cork's testimony by W. Penn Penn, William, 1644-1718.; Penn, William, 1644-1718. Gospel-truths. aut; Wettenhall, Edward, 1636-1713. Testimony of the Bishop of Cork. aut 1698 (1698) Wing P1274; ESTC R218266 58,772 142

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to see the Bishop's Evidence for this Knowledge For in the Conclusion of this Paragraph he turns us to the Scriptures who in the beginning of it makes us Unintelligible and Banterers in Religion for Expressing Ours in the Terms of It which may well merit the Bishop's Serious Reflexion His Ninth Paragraph refers to our Eighth Article as he calls it of which he cites these Eight Words only Worship under the Gospel is Inward and Spiritual upon which he says If you mean that Outward Worship ought to be accompanied with Inward and Spiritual Worship 't is what we Preach Press and Practice but if as it would seem you mean that all the Worship God now requires is from the Inward Man or from the Spirit this is abominably false for our Bodies are God's Handy-work and God by the Apostle commands Glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirit which are God's Not to tell you that you your selves now a-days perform somewhat of Bodily Worship Indeed we do and Ever did and Ever shall I hope while we have Bodies to Worship God in We are so ●ar from denying the Body what share is ●ue to it that with the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. ●9 we say What know ye not that your Bo●ies is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is ●n you which ye have of God and you are not ●our own Of which I would have the Bi●hop well Consider For if our very Bodies are under the Influence of the Holy Ghost how much more reasonable is it to believe that It dwells in our Souls and that our Hearts must be Prepared and Animated by the Holy Spirit in all our Devo●ion towards God But two things I must Remark to the Bishop First That we did not give him the least Occasion to suspect we deny'd Bodily Worship as appears by the Gospel-Truth now in question For 't is plain there by these words Worship in this Day is Inward and Spiritual That we only distinguish'd between Gospel Worship and the Ceremonial and Pompous Worship of the Law and that by Spiritual Woship we understand Praying Praising and Preaching by the Preparation and Sanctification of the Spirit of God which the Bishop does not and I hope dares not Deny Yet Unkindly and I think Unjustly brings in His as it would seem to make us by an Uncharitable Innuendo look to his Reader as if we denied Bodily Worship And yet to avoid so hard a Chapter as Maintaining this Aspersion would prove to the Bishop he is forced to confess that now a-days we perform some-what of Bodily Worship as if we did not perform any formerly and but a little now Which shews not that Candor that his Character ows us and but too plainly tells every Impartial Reader how muck more mind he has that we should be in the Wrong than in the Right I must Confess we have le● Pomp and Gaudiness in our Worship as wel● as in our Cloaths than is the Custom o● some other Churches and think it our Happiness that we are freed from such an Unprofitable as well as Unsuitable Incumberance Whatever It be 't is such as we believe God by his Holy Spirit hath led us into And tho' it be not so Entertaining to those who are Govern'd more by their outward Senses than their Souls yet I hope it will be allowed us to be Grave Solemn and Fervent The other Remark I make upon the Bishop's Exceptions is this That the Spiritual Worship he there allows of seems to be but the Worship of Man's Spirit and not of the Spirit of God working upon the Spirit of Man I would not Imitate him lest I ●●ould be Uncharitable too For if my ●eader can make more of it he has my ●onsent but that seems to me to be the ●ishop's Interpretation upon Christ's words ●ted by us on this Occasion viz. God will 〈◊〉 worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Tho' ●ere is a Truth in that also yet this nor ●eing so peculiar to the Gospel Dispensa●on could not be the Extent of Christ's ●ords whose Drift certainly was to draw Mens Minds to a more Inward and Spiri●ual Worship Not only to have less Cere●ony than was Practis'd among the Jews ●ut to feel more of the Power and Spirit of God in our Adoration and Praises than be●ong'd to the Former Dispensation and with which I heartily wish the Bishop a ●etter Acquaintance Upon the whole Mat●er I am apt to think my Reader believes with me he might as well have spared his Pains upon us about the first Part of this Gospel-Truth as he is Silent of the latter viz. That we may Preach in Power as well as Words and as God Promised and Christ Ordained without Money and without Price The Bishop in his Tenth Paragraph is pleased to Endeavour to lessen the Authority and Credit of our Ninth Gospel-Truth relating to the vain Fashions and Customs o● the World His words are these You te● us of denying all the vain Customs and Fashion of the World as also Excess in all things 〈◊〉 know no sort of Christians who teach otherwise● I wish I knew none even of your selves tha● practis'd otherwise it is one part of our C●techism we teach our Children He first Concurs with our Doctrine for he says 〈◊〉 knows none that Preaches otherwise and th● they do the like in their Catechism S● far then he allows us to be sound But h● wishes he knew none even of Us that Practice otherwise This is a sort of Charge and being not Prov'd looks like a Calumny● Some perhaps do not walk quite so strictly as becomes them to their Profession but are they own'd by us therein Or Indulged it self If not what are we to Conclude● but that the Bishop's Insinuation is to Ballance Accounts with us for the failures of his own People But pray are our Excesses equal or the Numbers that in Proportion do transgress I would not have him Comfort himself with his Uncharitableness to his honest and friendly Neighbours As it will not Excuse his less exact Friends that any of ours live larger than they profess so it cannot justly affect our Body ●here so few are faulty when 't is so well ●nown that such are sure to meet with due ●eproof But he adds that There are many Innocent ●nd Laudable Customs We call vain This 〈◊〉 all in a Heap and a Reflection by Whole●ale I can truly tell him I know of none ●nd if he had been more particular so would too Perhaps he thought Generals bes● 〈◊〉 make his Reflection Safe But if it were ●y place to be Plaintiff I could treat the ●ishop with a large Catalogue of very Of●ensive Customs that would concern him ●o think upon However he is pleased to ●e particular upon us in one of them which ●lmost turns his Stomach he says to think of viz. Would it not make a Man's Stomach ●urn to hear one forbear in point of Conscience saying you to a single Person because ●t is Improper
A DEFENCE Of a PAPER Entituled GOSPEL-TRVTHS Against the EXCEPTIONS OF THE BISHOP of CORK'S Testimony By W. Penn. The Second Edition Printed in the Year 1698. THE PREFACE Reader IT was the Wise Counsel of an Ancient and Great Prelate of the Kingdom of Ireland at a late Visit I made him there to discourage Controversie and endeavour to abate Strife among Christians For said he Heaven is a Quiet Place there are no Quarrels there and Religion is a Holy and Peaceable Thing and Excites to Piety and Charity and not to Genealogies Strife and Debates But the Bishop of Cork seems to be of another Mind that could not pass by so Inoffensive a Paper as that Stiled Gospel-Truths given him by me in a Private Way at a Friendly Visit upon his own Desire without his Publick Animadversions and those Exprest not with so much Justice and Charity as might have been expected from him to his Dissenting Neighbours I am I confess very sorry my Christian Visits to the Bishop have met with no Better Returns than Controversie But because that 's his and not my fault it shall be my Satisfaction I did indeed Perceiving him Conversant in our Writings and his Character to be Moderation casually Present him with one of those Papers but as the Nature of it is Far from Provocation so my design in it was purely to Improve his Temper and not to Excite his Contradiction Nor was it Writ for an Exact and Compleat Account of our Belief but Occasionally to prevent the Prejudices that the Attempts of a Course and Scurrilous Pen at Dublin just before might provoke in some against us as to the Points touched upon in the Gospel-Truths And though we have been so Unhappy as to be therein Mistaken by the Bishop yet it 's some Comfort to Us that our Christian Declaration hath had quite another Reception with the Generality of those to whose Hands it has come And I heartily wish That hath not been the most prevailing Motive to his Undertaking However since he has been pleased to fault it both with Shortness and Error which we thought Healing at least Inoffensive I esteem my self Answerable for it and shall with God's Assistance Defend it against the Force of his Exceptions and I hope with Clearness and Temper For though I may be plain as he may expect I desire to be neither Rude nor Bitter I ask Reader but the Common Justice due to all Authors especially in Controverted Points of Religion to wit Attention and Impartiality and then judge whether our Pacifick Paper deserved so Sharp a Censure and the Manner of its being given him so Publick a Return Though I hope the Consequence will be Good To Almighty God I leave the Success and am in all Christian Obligation Thy Assured Friend W. Penn. Bristol the 23d of the 7th Month 1698. GOSPEL-TRUTHS Held and briefly Declared by the People called QUAKERS for Satisfaction of Moderate Enquirers SOBER READER IF thou hadst rather we should be in the Right than in the Wrong and if thou thinkest it but a Reasonable Thing that we should be Heard before we are Condemned and that our Belief ought to be taken from our own Mouths and not at theirs that have prejudged our Cause then we intreat thee to Read and Weigh the following Brief Account of those Things that are chiefly Received and Professed among us the People called Quakers according to the Testimony of the Scriptures of Truth and the Illumination of the Holy Ghost which are the Double and Agreeing Record of True Religion Published to Inform the Moderate Enquirer and Reclaim the Prejudic'd to a better Temper which GOD grant to his Glory and their Peace I. It is our Belief that GOD Is and that He is a Rewarder of all them that fear Him with Eternal Rewards of Happiness and that those that fear him not shall be turned into Hell Heb. 11. 6. Rev. 22. 12. Rom. 2. 5 6 7 8. Psal 9. 17. II. That there are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these Three are really One 1. John 5. 7. III. That the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among Men and was and is the only Begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth His Beloved Son in whom he is well pleased and whom we are to hear in all things who tasted Death for every Man and Dyed for Sin that we might Die to Sin and by his Power and Spirit be raised up to Newness of Life here and to Glory hereafter John 1. 14. Matth. 3. 17. Heb. 2. 9. IV. That as we are only Justified from the Guilt of Sin by Christ the Propitiation and not by Works of Righteousness that we have done so there is an absolute Necessity that we receive and obey to unfeigned Repentance and Amendment of Life the holy Light and Spirit of Jesus Christ in order to obtain that Remission and Justification from Sin Since no Man can be Justified by Christ who walks not after the Spirit but after the Flesh for whom he Sanctifies them ●e also Justifies And if we walk in the Light as he is Light his precious Blood ●leanseth us from all Sin as well from the Pollution as Guilt of Sin Rom. 3. 22. to 26. Chap. 8. 1 2 3 4. 1 John 5. 7. V. That Christ is die Great Light of the World that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and is full of Grace and Truth and giveth to all Light for Light and Grace for Grace and by his Light and Grace he Inwardly Appears to Man and teaches such as will be taught by him That Denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts they should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World John 8. 12. Chap. 1. 9 ●14 Tit. 2. 11 12. VI. That this Principle of Light and Grace which is GOD's Gift through Christ to Man is that which shews us our Sins Reproves us for them and would Lead all all out of them that obey it to serve GOD in Fear and Love all their Days And they that turn not at the Reproofs thereof and will not Repent and Live and Walk according to it shall die in their Sins and where Christ is gone they shall never come who is Undefiled and separated from Sinners Ephes 5. 13. John 16. 7. Prov. 1. 20. to 24. John 8. 24. VII This is that Principle by which GOD prepares the Heart to worship him aright and all the Duties of Religion as Praying Praising and Preaching ought to be performed through the sanctifying Power and Assistance of It other Worship being but Formal and Will-Worship with which we cannot in Conscience joyn nor can we maintain or uphold It. Rom. 8. 26. 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. VIII Worship in this Gospel-Day is Inward and Spiritual For GOD is a Spirit as Christ teacheth and he will Now be worshiped in Spirit and Truth being most suitable to his Divine Nature wherefore we wait in our Assemblies to feel GOD's
us to take his Advertisement that our Liberty hangs but by slender Threads and a Reason of State and not of Nature Right or Christianity which certainly is not to bespeak this Considerable Party to the advantage of the Government And for which I think the Bishop a very moderate States-man and the Government as little beholding to his Politicks as we are to his Charity However we will have a better Opinion of our Superiors Regards to Liberty and conclude that their Inclination equals their Discretion and that their Judgment as well as Prudence is of that side Let the Bishop say what he pleases And tho' he deserves it not at my Hands I could almost perswade my self to think that he does not begrudge us and means not so loosly as he writes But be it as it will That God that has upheld us by hit free Spirit to this Day through many and great Afflictions we firmly believe will suffer nothing to attend us that shall not in the Conclusion work for his Glory and our Good if we continue stedfast to the End in the blessed way of Righteousness wherein he has so often and signally Owned and Preserved us notwithstanding the Violence of Open Enemies and the Treacherous and Restless Endeavours of False Friends His 16th Paragraph multiplies Reflection as before observed and Repeats what I have already largely answered particularly that we own the Christian Faith which he makes us to Wave Suppress or at least not to Confess and have express'd it even in the Paper he has faulted so much of Shortness and that more fully in all Points than in the Creed commonly called the Athenasian except that about the Trinity which seems to me less plain by that Copious way taken to explain It. He also says We Reject all Outward Positive Parts of Worship which we deny For we own and use Prayer Preaching and Praising in the Spirit without which they cannot be Owned or Joined with for they cannot be so performed to Edification by a true Christian Worshipper since God who is a Spirit will be Worshipped in Spirit and in Truth which Christ's Spirit must enable us to perform And such Worshippers Only God the Father seeks to Worship him Implying he regards not other Worshippers But Especially the Bishop says we reject Baptism and the Supper We say we do not Reject but Disuse the Signs because we felt the Invisible Graces in our Souls they were Signs and Shadows of and therefore not in Disrespect to the Signs but in Reverence to the Divine Substance they shew forth we discontinue their use among us They obtain'd place in the Infancy and Twi-light of the Church in her more weak and Ceremonious time directing as I may say that Inter-regnum between the Law and Gospel before the Dispensation of the Holy Ghost had Fully obtained Place and Preheminence in the Church But of this I have been already very particular He grows warm in his 17th Paragraph and Episcopal for he says In a word I again Require you as you will answer all your Secret Arts and Pretensions at Christ's Tribunal that you either Embrace and Profess the Entire Christian Truth in the Points wherein I have shewn you to be Defective and that you receive the Christian Seals or Badges Baptism and the Lord's Supper or else that you Desist to lay claim to the Name of Christians But first I must return the Bishop his Secret Arts and Pretensions In all which he is Greviously Mistaken For either I do not understand his meaning or I abhor it Next be it known to him we Wave not we Suppress not but heartily Embrace and Profess before the whole World all Points of Christian Doctrine according to the mind of the Holy Ghost as I have amply signified before upon this subject And where the Bishop takes leave of the Text he must excuse me if I leave him to keep company with it We did not Entitle our Paper All Gospel-Truths but Gospel-Truths which extended so far as we were Tax'd with Error about those Truths And yet he must have but a little Charity that will not allow a Believer and Follower of those Truths to be a Christian Nor indeed has the Bishop given us the Articles of Faith he says we Wave or Suppress or told us his own or that One Churches Faith he would have us receive as I have Complained already But that the Bishop should forbid us so much as to lay claim to the Name of Christians unless we will Practice what he calls the Seals or Badges of Christianity which divers Churches in Christendom think he misuses is very Uncharitable and Dogmatical But besides what I have said at large in our Excuse and Defence in that Matter he produces not one Scripture that calls them either Seals or Badges But yet there are other things that are so represented by our blessed Saviour and his Apostles which he takes no notice of As Mat. 16. 24. where they that will he reputed Christ's Disciples must take up his Cross and follow him Christ's Cross is a Christians Badge and Seal of Discipleship Again John 13. 35. He said to his Disciples By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Likewise Mat. 25. 34 35 36. The Distinguishing Character of the last Day is not Water Baptism and the Outward Supper but Love Mercy and Compassion Bowels and Charity not being Ashamed or Afraid of Owning and Helping the Lord's Servants in their Afflictions viz. I was an Hungry and ye gave Me Meat I was Thirsty and ye gave Me Drink I was a Stranger and ye took Me in Naked and ye Cloathed Me I was Sick and ye visited Me I was in Prison and ye came unto Me. This is the Christian Badge that will be Recognized by our Lord Jesus Christ at the last day We have his own Word for It. In all which He is so far from mentioning either of the other Badges that Luke 13. He brings in the Unhappy that are on his left hand using this Argument to engage him to receive them into blessedness viz. We have Eaten and Drank in thy Presence and thou hast taught in our Streets A plain Instance they had the use of such Ordinances as the Bishop reputes Badges of Christianity but it is as plain that such Pleas would not do For behold the Lord Jesus says unto them in the Parable I know you not depart from me ye workers of Iniquity I recommend the perusal of the following Verses to my Reader which confirm my sense of the Text For He spoke to an outside People that counted themselves the People of God and were observers of Meats and Drinks and Divers Washings And that which was Doctrine and Caution then is Doctrine and Caution now for Truth holds the same to the End I might add Holiness for a Characteristick without which no Man shall ever see the Lord And that neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor